NORWALK -- A two-pronged intervention process to help officers identify and respond to high risk cases of domestic violence program, recently adopted by the state police, has been utilized by police departments in lower Fairfield County for two years.

The lethality assessment program (LAP) has been used by departments in Norwalk, Westport, Darien, New Canaan and Wilton and departments in Stamford and Weston have expressed interest in adopting the program, according to Aviania Iliadis, coordinator for family violence victim advocates at the Domestic Violence Crisis Center.

To mark the beginning of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced Wednesday that State Police would be using the LAP. The program mandates that each officer screen the victim of an intimate partner domestic violence incident by asking simple questions that can be answered with "yes" or "no." The screening is designed to identify the risk factors for potential lethality in cases of intimate partner violence, and the answers are reported to a professional on a crisis hotline once the screening is completed. The victim is then guided to a list of applicable services, such as shelters, counseling and advocacy services.

"The lethality assessment is an easy and effective method that identifies victims of domestic violence who are at heightened risk of being seriously injured or killed by their intimate partners and immediately connects them to the domestic violence service provider in their area," said Malloy in a news release. "With practices like this in place, we will undoubtedly save lives. I commend the Connecticut State Police and the many municipal police departments for their adoption of this vital tool."

LAP is designed to hook domestic violence victims into a safe environment with the right support as soon as possible. Domestic violence suspects are arraigned on the next available court date after their arrest, at which time the court victim's advocate will address the victim's need for services, counseling and safe housing and link them with the proper organizations. However, some victims are in a situation where they cannot wait until the next available court date to escape the cycle of abuse, Iliadis said.

Norwalk Police officers received LAP training in 2012, and State Police will receive the same training in October.

Maryland was the first state to pilot the LAP program in 2005, and the state saw a 35 percent decrease in intimate partner domestic violence homicides from 2007 to 2012.